Which Citation Style Do I Need? The Complete Decision Guide

There are over a dozen citation and formatting styles in common use. Picking the wrong format can cost you marks or get your manuscript rejected. Whether you need APA formatting, MLA formatting, Chicago formatting, or another style, here's how to know exactly which format you need when formatting a document.

Which Format by Academic Discipline

Social Sciences & Psychology

Use APA 7th Edition. Required by most psychology, education, nursing, and social science programs. If your field studies human behavior, APA is almost certainly your style.

Humanities & Liberal Arts

Use MLA 9th Edition. The standard for English, literature, languages, and cultural studies. If you're writing about books, films, or art, use MLA.

History, Philosophy & Religion

Use Chicago/Turabian. The Notes-Bibliography system is preferred. If your paper has footnotes pointing to primary sources, this is your style.

Engineering & Computer Science

Use IEEE. The standard for electrical engineering, computer science, and IT. Uses numbered references in square brackets [1].

UK Universities (Most Disciplines)

Use Harvard. The dominant style across UK higher education. Similar to APA but with key differences (single quotes, "and" instead of "&").

Medical & Health Sciences

Use Vancouver or AMA 11. Vancouver is standard for most medical journals worldwide. AMA is used specifically by JAMA and other AMA-affiliated publications.

Quick Decision Chart

• Writing about psychology or education? → APA 7
• Analyzing literature or language? → MLA 9
• Researching history with primary sources? → Chicago
• Student paper for a history class? → Turabian
• Engineering or CS conference paper? → IEEE
• UK university assignment? → Harvard
• Medical journal submission? → Vancouver
• JAMA or AMA journal? → AMA 11
• Self-publishing a book? → KDP formatting

When in Doubt

Always check your assignment brief, syllabus, or journal submission guidelines. The required style is almost always specified. If it's not, ask your instructor or editor directly.

Using the wrong citation style is an easy mistake that's entirely preventable.

All Formats, One Formatting Tool

SimpleFormat Pro supports APA 7 format, MLA 9 format, Chicago format, Turabian format, IEEE format, Harvard format, Vancouver format, AMA 11 format, and KDP formatting—all in one place. Pick your format and get a correctly formatted document in minutes.